Vaccination pass then lifting of restrictions in France, 3 million daily cases worldwide with Omicron,
Le Figaro
takes stock this Friday, January 21 on the latest information related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read alsoWhy some have never had and will never have the Covid?
France: gradual lifting of restrictions
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday the entry into force Monday of the vaccine pass,
“subject to the decision of the Constitutional Council”
, then a gradual lifting of restrictions against Covid.
On February 2, it will be the end of wearing a mask outdoors, the end of gauges in places open to the public and the end of compulsory teleworking (it will nevertheless remain recommended).
On February 16, nightclubs will be able to reopen.
In addition, the booster dose of the Covid vaccine will be authorized from Monday for 12-17 year olds, without obligation.
3 million daily cases worldwide
More than 3 million daily cases were recorded on average worldwide between January 13 and 19, a figure that has increased more than fivefold since the discovery of the Omicron variant at the end of November, according to an AFP count.
Read alsoWhere can we travel?
Our map of open countries and restrictions for French tourists
The regions currently experiencing the greatest increases in contamination are Asia (385,572 daily cases over the past seven days on average, +68% compared to the previous week), the Middle East (89,900 daily cases, +57%) and the Latin America/Caribbean zone (397,098 daily cases, +40%).
Adele postpones her concert series in Las Vegas indefinitely
In tears, British singer Adele announced Thursday the indefinite postponement of her series of residency shows in Las Vegas, while the coronavirus decimates her team on the eve of the first performance.
Read alsoAdele, Ed Sheeran, Little Simz… The Brit Awards unveil the list of nominations for 2022
Argentinian base evacuated in Antarctica
Nine members of an Argentine scientific and military base in Antarctica were evacuated this weekend, after an outbreak which saw 24 of the 43 occupants of the base infected with Covid-19, we learned Thursday from official sources. .
The nine positive cases, who were not vaccinated because they had been stationed at Base Esperanza since 2020, were evacuated by helicopter on Saturday - a delicate operation during a weather window of a few hours - and transferred by plane to Buenos Aires for there. be isolated, although no one is sick.
Austria adopts compulsory vaccination
The Austrian Parliament passed a law on compulsory Covid-19 vaccination for all adults on Thursday, becoming the first country in the European Union to take such a measure to fight the pandemic.
The measure will come into effect on February 4.
Read alsoCovid-19: Germany, Austria, Greece, Ireland… These European countries which have already imposed a vaccination pass
Africa: the 4th wave is receding (WHO)
The weekly number of Covid-19 cases has
"significantly dropped"
in Africa and that of deaths has also fallen, for the first time since the peak of the 4th wave induced by the Omicron variant, the WHO announced on Thursday.
Read alsoCovid-19: how South Africa overcame the Omicron wave
However,
“as long as the virus continues to circulate, future waves are inevitable
,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO director for Africa, during the press briefing.
The vaccination rate remains low in Africa with, according to the WHO, only 10% of the population fully vaccinated.
Second wave in New Caledonia
New Caledonia, spared until recently by the Covid-19 epidemic, has entered a
“second wave”
with the Omicron variant , the health authorities of the French Pacific archipelago announced on Thursday, where new measures will come into force on Monday. .
Read alsoNew Caledonia, French laboratory for the “zero Covid” strategy
Elsewhere in the French West Indies, the white plan was reactivated in Guadeloupe against a backdrop of violent protest against the anti-Covid vaccine which turned into a social crisis.
The organizations mobilized against the vaccination obligation called, for this Thursday, the whole of the island to a
"dead day"
.
More than 5.5 million dead
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 5,563,359 people worldwide since the end of December 2019, according to a report compiled by AFP from official sources Thursday at 11 a.m. GMT.
In absolute terms, the countries with the most deaths are the United States (860,100), Brazil (622,205), India (487,693) and Russia (324,060).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that officially recorded.